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The best things to do in Milan this week, including Music, Art, Museums, Shopping and Restaurants, chosen by Bella Milano Tours.

Pinacoteca di Brera

SUNDAY AT THE MUSEUM – As on every first Sunday of the month, most of museums of Milan (and the rest of Italy) will be open free on Jan 2. Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Picture Gallery), Museum of Natural History, Museo del Risorgimento, Sforza Castle… there is a wide choice for everybody, but this month we definitely recommend Galleria d’Arte Moderna, where at 6 pm your visit will be accompanied by the music of Divertimento Ensemble. According to weather forcasts, it may rain on Sunday: there is no best excuse to spend a day walking from one room to the other amongst artistic masterpieces.

ARTS & CRAFTS MARKET – On Saturday 2, in front of the ancient Basilica of Saint Eustorgio, the bi-monthly Little Market will welcome you with stalls full of quality handmade Art and Craft: antiques and vintage furniture, handmade accessories, fancy jewels. A treasure trove for everybody. From 9 am to 7 pm.

Chinese New Year in Milan

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2019 – Milan is the only Italian city with its own Chinatown, and a very peculiar one: along the busy Sarpi street, Chinese and local people have been living side by side for almost one century. Chinese New Year is on Feb 5, but celebrations will start from Sunday 3 and continue for the whole week. The epicentre will be of course in Sarpi street, but this year, for the first time, also the Fashion District will be involved in it: shop windows will be flooded with the red colour, and along corso Montenapoleone a special exhibition by the artist Liu Bolin, including photographs and performances, will surprise you. On Sunday 10 the climax: the traditional parade in the heart of Chinatown.

THE STORY OF LA SCALA – La Scala Opera Houseis celebrating its 240-year-long life with an exhibition entitled “La Magnifica Fabbrica”. Videos, interactive screens, wooden models, Augmented Reality experiences: visitors will dive into the rich, past of La Scala and catch a glimpse of its future (that is, the new building at the back of the theatre which is being built in via Verdi). La Scala Theatre Museum, every day 9 am to 5.30 pm.

MUST DO – A private guided walking tour in Milan with us! This week we recommend the Cafés and Coffee Tour: come and discover our unique coffee tradition!

The best things to do in Milan this week, including Music, Art, Museums, Shopping and Restaurants, chosen by Bella Milano Tours.

East Market

VINTAGE MARKET – East Market, located in an old aeronautical factory, is the first marketplace where everyone can buy, sell or swap any kind of stuff: antiques, furniture, vintage, second hand, sneakers, vynil, curiosities, oddities and old collections. There is also a food court, and plenty of stalls where you can taste any kind of food. Next edition is on Sunday Jan 20, from 10 am to 9 pm. Entrance is free. East Market is in via Mecenate 84 (tram 27 from piazza Fontana, at the back of Duomo).

MILANO IN THE MOVIES – Palazzo Morando, formerly the elegant house of a noble lady, is hosting an exhibition about the close relationship between Milan and the movie industry. For decades Milan has played a significant role in the development of cinema as an industry and as an art form, besides being the location of such famous movies as “Miracolo a Milano” by Vittorio de Sica and “La notte” by Michelangelo Antonioni. Palazzo Morando is right in the middle of the Fashion District, in via Sant’Andrea 6. The exhibition in open Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 8 pm.

LA SCALA – La Scala Opera House is, for music lovers, “the temple of music”. But getting tickets is so difficult, and they are so expensive. Yet there is a way to get cheap last-minute tickets, at the cost of 5 to 15 euro depending on the performance. All you have to do is queue in front of the ticket office on the same day of the performance, write your name in the waiting list, be back a couple of hours later for the roll-call and finally, just before the performance, redeem the last-minute ticket. More info here, on the official web site. On Jan 17, 18 and 19 do not miss celebrated conductor Riccardo Chailly directing Gustav Mahler’s Symphony nr. 6, a work that Mahler himself described as “tragic”.

Sant’Eustorgio basilica

FARMERS’ MARKET – Lombardy, the region of Milan, is the first agricoltural region in Italy in terms of output. On Tuesday Jan 22, in front of the ancient Basilica of Saint Eustorgio, you will have the chance to taste local products and specialities at the weekly farmers’ market. It is held in the morning, 8.30 am to 2 pm, and includes stalls of local artisans with their typical creations. Do not forget to visit the church itself, a precious example of Romanesque architecture, and the famous Cappella Portinari, entirely frescoed by the Renaissance artist Vincenzo Foppa.

MUST DO – A guided walking tour in Milan with us! This week we recommend the Aperitivo Tour: a taste of Italy in 4 delicious stops.

The best things to do in Milan this week, including Music, Art, Museums, Shopping and Restaurants, chosen by Bella Milano Tours.

Fabrizio De André

CANTATA ANARCHICA – Fabrizio De André was an Italian singer-songwriter, or rather a poet who – like Jacques Brel and Leonard Cohen – put his own words to music. On the tenth anniversary of his death, January 11th, his fans will remember him with “Cantata anarchica“, a spontaneous gathering in Duomo square starting from 8 pm. Everybody is invited to join in singing and playing, and if you don’t know De André’s music, don’t worry: just enjoy the warm embrace of a crowd still passionately loving and missing this great artist.

SAINT ANTHONY BONFIRE - Saint Anthony is the patron saint of pets and livestock, and he is traditionally celebrated with a bonfire on January 17th. This year the bonfire will be anticipated on Sunday 13th at Cascina Linterno, from 3.30 pm until 7 pm, where a famers’ market will welcome visitors. During the afternoon the ceremony of the blessing of animals will be celebrated, and after sunset the fire will be kindled, accompanied by music, dances and vin brulé (mulled wine).

The easiest way to get to Cascina Linterno is by bus 67 from the metro station Bande Nere (Red Line).

FLEA MARKET – On Sunday 20th, the traditional Flea Market will flood with its stalls the narrow, cobblestone streets of the picturesque Brera district. Antiques and vintage furniture, handmade accessories, fancy jewels: a treasure trove for everybody. In via Brera, at the corner with via Fiori Chiari and via Fiori Scuri, from 8 am to 6.30 pm.

BANSKY – The art of Bansky. A visual protest is one of the most successful exhibition in Milan at the moment. Mudec museum is the first public Italian museum to host a monographic exhibition of this elusive and misterious artist, showcasing about 80 works including paintings, sculptures and prints, accompanied by objects, photographs, and videos, about 60 album and CD covers, which the artist himself curated, and about forty pieces of memorabilia (lithographs, stickers, prints, magazines, fanzines, tickets, promotional flyers), that retrospectively describe the work and thinking of Banksy.

And no, no painting will self-destruct during the exhibition.

La Scala Opera House

OPERA – Remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, desperately sobbing at the opera? You have a heart of stone, if you don’t shed your tears for the fate of Violetta in Verdi’s most celebrated work. La Traviata will be directed by Myung-Whun Chung atLa Scala from January 11th. If you have no ticket, don’t worry: here you will find all info needed to purchase last-minute, super-cheap tickets.

The best things to do in Milan this week, including Music, Art, Museums, Shopping and Restaurants, chosen by Bella Milano Tours.

Die Fliedermaus at La Scala

OPERA – An extraordinary debut at La Scala Opera House: Johann Strauss’ Die Fliedermaus is performed for the first time in Milan, conducted by Cornelius Meister and directed by Cornelius Obonya. It is such a funny, sparkling, surprising opera, or rather “operetta”, light opera, that in spite of being sung in German it can be enjoyed by really everybody. In any case, subtitles in English are provided. Find here more info about last minute tickets.

FREE – Saturday 20, at 9 pm, the choir “Amici del Loggione” will sing in Palazzina Libery, an Art Nouveau building located in the middle of a park. The address is Largo Marinai d’Italia. Palazzina Liberty used to be the headquarters of Dario Fo’s theatrical company, when the Nobel-awarded writer and playwriter was still considered by mainstream critics as a subversive agitator.

Sunday 21, at 5 pm, organ music is played in a magic location, the church of Saint Simpliciano, whose foundation dates back to the 4th century AD. It is located in Brera district, the fascinating neighborhood of Milan famous for its narrow streets of cobblestones, fine boutiques and cosy cafés.

FOOD – Eataly means good food, and being housed in a former theatre it also means good music: every Wednesday at 6.30 pm, on Eataly stage, a jazz group will play while guests enjoy their aperitifs prepared by the Michelin-starred Alice restaurant. On January 24, the Bublitschki Band will entertain the audience with a mix of rithms from different cultures and traditions: Brazil, the Mediterranean, East Europe.

FLEA MARKET – Flea market may not be the exact definition for the antique-artisan-collectors market of Brera. Stalls will fill up of colours and scents the usually quiet Fiori Chiari, Madonnina and Formentini streets. Sunday 21, 10 am to 6 pm.

SPECIAL TIP – For cinema lovers, Anteo Palazzo del Cinema offers you the chance to enjoy fine food and film in the newly renovated Sala Nobel. Usually movies in Italy are dubbed in Italian, unless the original version is played. This is the case for “Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21, 1 pm).

If you happen to be in Milan on the second week of December, here are 5 things you should know about St Ambrose’s Day, which is celebrated on December 7th.

1 – St Ambrose was the bishop of Milan at the end of the fourth century after Christ. He is the patron saint of Milan, and the Feast of Saint Ambrose is a day off for most people here. Besides, it is followed by another public holiday, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, on December 8th, so a lot of Milanese will take the chance to have a nice extra break from work just before the long Christmas holiday. But don’t worry: while companies shut down, shops and stores are well open and happy to welcome you! December 7th is also the best moment to visit the Basilica of St Ambrose, dating from the IV century AD. With the help of a local guide you will discover all the amazing stories surrounding such an ancient building.

“Oh bej oh bej” street market

2 – St Ambrose’s day is the official start for Christmas Season in Milan, and the moment when Christmas lights were traditionally turned on. But we all want to get into the festive spirit as soon as possible, so thanks to globalization nowadays we have anticipated to Black Friday the day when all Christmas lights are switched on. Yet in the case of the 30-metre Christmas tree standing in Duomo square it seems that tradition will be respected, therefore we have to wait until Thursday evening for the magic moment.

3 – The Feast of St Ambrose in Milan is synonym to “Oh Bej Oh Bej” street market. From December 7th to Sunday 10th , from 8.30 am to 9 pm, the whole area around the imposing Sforza Castle will be busy with people trying an assortment of local food and drinks, as well as shopping at colourful arts and crafts stalls. The funny name of this market, which sounds like “obey”, means “oh beautiful oh beautiful” in local dialect. According to a legend, on December 7th 1510 Giannetto Castiglione, delegate of Pope Pius IV, was visiting Milan and in order to ingratiate himself with the Milanese he entered the city carrying boxes full of sweets and toys for the local children, who welcomed him with cheerful cries: “Oh bej! Oh bej!”

Riccardo Chailly will be the conductor of “Andrea Chenier”

4 – It is on St Ambrose’s Day that the world-famous La Scala Opera House starts its season. La Scala’s opening night is one of the most glamorous annual occasions in Italy, and tickets are only affordable for the happy few, but as usual the premiere – this year, Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier” – will be screened live around the city, so that all milanesi and visitors, and even jail inmates, can enjoy such high point of Milan’s cultural calendar. The opera will be broadcast live (and free) at many venues such as the Octagon of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and even on the national tv channel Rai5.

5 – If you are not really fond of opera, then you may like superstar pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi, who is going to play at Teatro Dal Verme from December 8th to 17th. His shows are almost sold out, so hurry up if you want to listen to his minimalistic, mesmerizing melodies.

BONUS – 6 – If you have kids and you are desperately looking for engaging activities for them, do not miss“City Booming Milano”at Palazzo dei Giureconsulti in via Mercanti (just in front of Duomo). It is a spectacular diorama made of 7 million Lego bricks and representing a megacity with its skyscrapers, streets, shops and 6.000 mini citizens. Look carefully and, among the crowd, you’ll spot Batman, Harrison Ford and the Simpsons!